A Fort Wayne, Indiana, woman has admitted to trying to kill her 11-week-old niece last year by lacing her breast milk with pain pills and caffeine.
On Monday, Sarai Rodriguez-Miranda, 19, pleaded guilty in Allen County court to attempted murder. The teen had devised the deadly plot to kill her infant niece in January 2017 after her brother, his fiancee, and their baby moved in with her and her mother, according to the Journal & Courier.
Court documents obtained by the newspaper stated that Rodriguez-Miranda became upset when the family stayed longer than expected.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, police began investigating after the woman’s mother uncovered texts Rodriguez-Miranda had sent using a cell phone they shared.
“I’m gonna crush up some of these pills since she decided they can stay longer and kill their baby,” the teen wrote to her boyfriend, according to The News-Sentinel.
“I put the stuff in a made bottle in the fridge. Yeah I thought it was funny that I don’t have an ounce of guilt.”
According to court documents, Rodriguez-Miranda had also texted asking how much acetaminophen, caffeine, and aspirin was needed to kill the infant and noted that 4,000 mg is lethal to an adult. One message included a picture of a mortar and pestle containing a white powder.
At one point, Rodriguez-Miranda also texted that she didn’t “have an ounce of guilt” about poisioning the baby. After learning that her infant niece was unharmed, she wrote, “Why didn’t that baby die dude thats dumb. They definitely threw it out,” the Journal & Courier reported.
The teen’s mother located two baby bottles: One appeared darker and had a residue on the bottom. In addition to the bottle, the teen’s mother discovered the mortar and pestle and turned it over to investigators.
According to The Journal Gazette, lab tests determined that the bottle contained acetaminophen, caffeine, and aspirin. Specifically, a forensic toxicologist found that bottle had the equivalent of nine tablets of Excedrin—enough to kill an adult. The baby was taken to the hospital, where it was determined that she hadn’t been poisoned.
In September, U.S. Marshals arrested the teen in Michigan, where she apparently fled after learning she was under investigation. She was extradited to Indiana to face charges.
Rodriguez-Miranda admitted in court to lacing the bottle and explained that she’s now on medication to treat her anxiety and depression, according to The Gazette.
Jailed without bond, Rodriguez-Miranda is facing a maximum of 25 years behind bars for attempted murder. Sentencing is scheduled for May 18.
[Featured Image: Sarai Rodriguez-Miranda/Allen County Sheriff’s Department]
